These Things Will Change
by Peaches732
Summary: A novelization of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess from Ilia's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Most of you know me from Harp of the Twilight, and this is my new part-time fic, These Things Will Change. Basically it's a novelization of Twilight Princess from Ilia's point of view. The reason I decided to do this was, in the game, how Ilia lost her memory was never specified, so I think it would make a great story to elaborate on that, and I'm very excited for it. Special thanks to my Beta, Fishylishy. Lish, you are _beyond _helpful. Thanks again!**

**This first chapter takes place late morning on the day that Rusl talks to Link about going to Hyrule...enjoy!**

**I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of it's characters.**

"Ilia! Get up! You have chores to do!" Father shouted from downstairs. I groaned and jammed a pillow down on my head, trying to block out his voice.

"_Ilia!_" My efforts were in vain, due to his booming voice and open layout of our large home.

"Okay, Father, I'm up, I'm up..." I gave in, sat up, stretched and yawned. I had stayed up till the late hours of the night yesterday working on the Horse Call I've been making for Link. All my hard work would be worth it though, when I was done. It'd be so much easier for Link to just have a whistle then scavenging around trying to look for that special grass he learned how to play. I don't know how he does it, it's never the same when I try to play the song Epona loved so much. Anyway, I couldn't wait to finish it.

Dragging my feet across the rough wooden floor, and trying to avoid patches of hay that were strewn about, I dressed in my favorite cropped brown pants and long tan shirt. They were rather plain compared to the other villagers'...interesting get-ups, which consisted of ragged pieces of cloth roughly sewn together over the years, but were nonetheless comfortable. A few quick combs through my hair and I headed downstairs. A monotonous routine, one I did nearly everyday, mechanically and without thought. The everyday life of a country girl. I padded down the creaky wooded stairs.

"Breakfast is on the table. Although, it might as well be lunch, with how late you slept in this morning." Father teased as I entered our messy circular kitchen. He ruffled my hair.

"_Dad"_ I rolled my eyes and pushed his hand away as I sat down to the circular table.

"Just kidding. Now hurry up and eat, you've got your chores to do," He said as he walked out the door to go take care of "important mayor business", so he would say.

I wolfed down my eggs and toast. The sooner I finished my chores, the sooner I'd be able to continue working on the horse call, which meant the sooner I'd be able to give it to Link. I just knew he'd be happy with it.

As I slammed down my glass of milk(from the goats, of course) I looked around at the kitchen in dismay. Dishes were strewn about, as I had slacked off on my chores yesterday. Being the only girl in the family, cleaning and things of the sort were left up to me. I filled a barrel with water from the rusty old faucet outside and got to work.

Just as I was finishing up there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, Ilia." Hanch greeted me. "Would you mind watching the kids for a bit? I have to restock the store today or Sera'll have my head."

I smiled, though on the inside I felt exasperated. I was pretty much the village's "go-to girl." "Ilia, can you watch the kids?", was a question that definitely wasn't new. But how could I refuse?

"Sure. No problem." I gave the usual answer and followed him outside. We walked on the worn dirt path through the village.

"The kids are in front of Link's house waiting for him to get back, I expect. He and Rusl went to go fetch some lumber from the Faron Woods. Poor Link, the kids are always badgering him about something." Hanch shook his head. "Anyway, thanks so much, I should be finished in a couple of hours. Wish me luck that Sera isn't feeling picky today. I chuckled and waved goodbye.

It was an open, grassy area. There were three or four tall, mature trees scattered about, and Link lived in one himself. A banner over his front door waved in the wind. It had a triangular symbol on it, a symbol I knew as the Triforce from the legends that Father had often told me about, especially when I was younger. Link had the same symbol on the back of his hand. He'd never talked about it much, and I had never pressed him to do so.

The kids were all crowed around a sort of wooden, pumpkin-headed sparring dummy that Link often used for sword practice. Talo smacked the thing as hard as he could with his toy sword/stick, shouting and yelling with animated expressions. Colin sat in the shade under one of the trees alone and watched them. I walked over and sat down next to him. I felt bad for the poor kid. He was often pushed over by the other kids due to his quiet persona and shy nature. He was sensitive and kind, and had everyone's best interests at heart. I knew he had potential to be amazing, and I hope that one day he'll realize it himself.

"Hey. How's it going, Colin?" I asked kindly.

"Alright." He winced as the sword made contact with a loud whack.

"Ilia! Ilia! Did you _see_ that? Look how hard I hit that thing!" Talo came running over, waving his sword in the air.

"It wasn't _that_ big of a deal..." Malo mumbled under his breath. To be honest, I find Malo to be a little intimidating. He has knowledge _well_ beyond his years and seems to know what you're thinking constantly.

"Ugh, this is so boring. Can't we do something else?" Beth complained, though she had a certain sparkle in her eyes.

For several hours the afternoon went on like that, from sprinting races to the spring and back, to hide and seek, to _more_ sword fighting, until finally, Hanch finished his work.

"Thanks, Ilia. I really appreciate this."

"No big deal. Anytime." I answered back dutifully, though I was a bit tired. Dusk was starting to fall overhead, and I wanted to get home and relax a bit.

No sooner than ten minutes after I had arrived home there was another knock on the door. Right in the middle of dinner, too.

"I'll get it." I told Father wearily as I rose from my chair.

This time Rusl was at the door.

"Hey Rusl. You and Link just come back?"

"Yes, we dropped the fire wood off at the ranch. But I need to discuss something with your father."

"Sure, he's right inside." I swung open the door and let him in. I lead him back to the kitchen, where I finished my meal and started to head back upstairs.

"...about time we sent him into Hyrule, he's seventeen, you know."

"I agree with you, Rusl. He can deliver the gift to the Royal Family the day after tomorrow."

I froze in mid-step. They were talking about Link. I quickly spun around and walked back down the stairs and slipped out the door.

I walked toward his house. The soft wind of late spring gently whipped around my face as the twilight settled in. Summer would be coming soon. I approached Link's home and was about to call out his name when I noticed Epona; she had been tied to the large overgrown pine by his house. I could tell from where I was standing how dusty she was from the day's journey. I walked over to her, untied the rope, gently spoke comforting words to her, and lead her to the Ordona Spirit Spring. As poured the cool, clear water over her long, graceful neck, I noticed the horse-shoe shaped grass growing near the water's edge. It reminded me of my project. If I worked all day tomorrow, I'd be able to get it done by the time Link left for Hyrule. I'm sure he'd appreciate that.

Epona shook the water off of her auburn coat. I reached out for her reins. I'd simply take her back to where she was and tie her back up. Link would come back later and find her nice and clean; I figured it'd be a nice surprise for him. That's when I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

It was Link himself. Well, the latter part of my plan was ruined, but, no matter.

"Oh, hi Link." I said casually, looking from him to the horse. "I washed Epona for you!"

He grinned and walked over to me, taking her reins.

"Thanks, Ilia. That was really kind of you."

I laughed. "Epona's a girl too, so have to treat her nice like one! Oh, but listen, Link...Could you do something for me?"

He nodded.

"Could you use a piece of grass to play that song for me? You know, the one that Epona likes?" Link smiled.

"Sure." He swooped a piece of the grass off the ground and blew into it. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the song.

"It's such a nice melody. Well, Epona's all prettied up now, so I suppose you can ride her back. But don't make her do too much, all right?"

He laughed again. "Don't worry, Ilia. I'm just going to go help Fado out for a bit and then she can rest. Thanks again!" He mounted her and rode off. I waded out of the spring and headed back to the village after him.

Yes, the everyday life of a country girl.

**Reviews are awesome. I thrive on constructive criticism, as it helps me so much, so anything you have to say would be appreciated. **

**Like I said, this fic probably won't be updated as often and as regularly as Harp of the Twilight, but just whenever I get a good chapter written.**

**Thanks again!**

**-Peaches732**


	2. Chapter 2

The sun rose slowly but surely to the eastern sky, casting a radiant beam of light into my bedroom and flooding in through the window above my desk. I forced my heavy eyes open, sat up, and shielded my face from the sun, confused as to why I had slept at my desk all night. As I looked around I caught sight of my face in the mirror. A piece of yarn was stuck to my cheek. I yawned, pulled it off, dropped it onto my desk and leaned back in my wooden work chair. I must have fallen asleep working on the Horse Charm again.

While I changed into a loose, comfy yellow tunic and baggy blue trousers(my "lounge" outfit) it hit me: I had less then a day to finish my project. While I supposed I could always give it to Link after he returned from Castle Town, I think he'd be more appreciative if I have it to him before he left. I mean, let's face it. It only takes five minutes to walk around our entire village. It'd be kinda hard to, er, misplace your horse. But it's the thought that counts, right?

The only way that I would be able to finish the charm in time was to work all day, without any interruptions, I decided. Maybe if I got lucky Father would let me off my chores today...No, it wouldn't be luck, it would be manipulation. As I finished dressing I thought out my plan...

"Morning, Dad!" I greeted him cheerfully as Father trudged into the kitchen later that morning. It was clear he had just woken up. As he sat down at the table I plunked a plate full of all his favorite breakfast foods in front of him: Fried eggs, cinnamon apples, and buttered toast were a few of the choices.

"Well, well. What's the occasion?" He nodded approvingly, picking up his fork and digging in.

"Oh, I just wanted to reward you for all the hard work you've been doing, you know, being mayor and all..." I lied, sitting down at the table with my own breakfast. Standing outside on your porch all day isn't what I'd call "working," but I wanted to soften Father up so he'd be more likely to let me skip my chores.

At my words Father froze, dropping his fork onto his ceramic plate, where it clattered loudly. He then turned to me and rested his chin in his hand.

"Alright. What do you want this time?"

My smile faded. I guess he was on to my little plan. I'd have figure out some new tricks sometime.

"Um...well...I was hoping that, um, maybe I'd be able to take the day off today...?" My voice grew smaller with each word, having being caught off guard.

He contemplated this for a moment, then grinned.

"Sure."

"_Yes! _Thank you sooo much!" I leaped up and kissed the side of his balding head.

"Well, you've been workin' hard lately. You deserve it. And Link's got the day off too, so you and him can spend some time together and-"

"No!" I shrieked. Father cringed at the volume of my voice. "It's just, um, I was thinking that, well, maybe I could have some time to myself today. I've been working on a project for awhile and I was hoping I could finish it today..."

Father got the gist.

"Okay, then, that's fine too."

"And if you see Link today...don't let him come in. I don't need any interruptions." I said firmly.

"O_kay,_"

"Promise!" I demanded.

"_Yes_, Ilia, I promise. Now, please, can I just finish my breakfast?"

I didn't answer him. Shoveling the rest of my eggs into my mouth, I dropped my plate in a bin labeled "Dirty Dishes"(which I wouldn't have to clean today!) and dashed upstairs.

I had a fair amount of work ahead of me. I'd already molded the flute itself out of clay, but I wanted to paint it too. Then I'd use sinew string for the neck strap, which I would braid for durability. I'd thread some beads on the string, use some wire to attach it to the flute part, and I would be done.

After three hours I had braided the string and was almost finished painting. I would have made more progress if I hadn't have spilled black paint all over the charm and had to wipe it off and start over, but I was muddling through. I decided to take a break, walk downstairs and have a drink of milk.

Just as I was finishing up I heard a knock on the door and froze. Surely Father would just walk into his own house...? Then I heard conversation from outside.

"Eh? Oh, did you need Ilia for somethin', Link? Sorry, sonny, but I was told that if you came by today I wasn't to let you inside. She's locked herself in her room, workin' like crazy on somethin' or other. She'll be awful sore if I break my word. She's the spittin' image of her mother, that girl...right down to her strong will..."

Well, at least Father was staying true to his promise. She's the spitting image of her mother, that girl, he had said. Well, it's not like I would know...I quickly put the idea out of my head. I had work to do.

Another three hours later and I had finished. The Horse Call turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself. I couldn't wait to give it to Link. Despite my sore fingers, I knew it would be worth it.

I fixed some sandwiches for dinner that night. As Father and I ate he told me of all the queer things that had happened that day.

"...A monkey stole the baby cradle Uli spent the last six months workin' on...Luckily Link managed to get it back. He's certainly been the hero today. Talo saw the monkey later, got a bit overexcited, and went chasing it into Faron Woods."

"Really? Is he alright?" I asked, surprised that Talo went into the forest unattended. Everyone knew of all the monsters that had been lurking around in there lately. But then again, Talo wasn't known for his common sense.

"Who's alright? Talo, Link, or the monkey?" Father joked around.

"_Dad_. The first two."

"They're okay. Supposedly Talo was trapped in a cage with the monkey all the way up near the temple, but Link managed to free 'em both. Good thing Rusl had returned his sword earlier that day."

"Yeah," I agreed. I didn't like the sound of all those monsters, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it, I guess. I wondered was was beyond these woods out in Hyrule Fields...there might be even worse monsters...I just hoped Link wouldn't run into any trouble on his trip to the castle tomorrow...

**----------**

**Oh, how I love the irony at the end part...**

**No, I'm not dead. I've just been very, very busy and certain things have come up in my life that prevent computer usage, but I came up with another chapter. I'll be uploading a new chapter of Harp of the Twilight in coming days and hopefully a new oneshot in a week or two, so stay tuned. Reviews are loved!**

**-Peaches732**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back with another chapter. Here's where the story starts to pick up, and where I really have to start putting my own spin on things. This is a LONG chapter for me, so don't expect to see an update for at least a month.**

**As a side note, I've changed the rating from "K+" to "T".**

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Change is inevitable.

I guess I should have listened to that old quote. "Expect the unexpected." Then again, I don't think anyone could have foreseen what happened. We live out in the country, where it's quiet and secluded. I mean, Link's trip was probably the most exciting thing that had happened in Ordon in the past couple years. Until that morning...

I woke up to the gentle, yet sturdy sound of a horse's hooves on solid dirt the next morning. I listened to the sound for a few minutes. After years of living in close proximity with horses and the like I could easily recognize what was going on. The horse was not galloping, nor was it walking either, but trotting at a relaxed pace. _What're Epona and Link doing out so early in the morning? _I thought sleepily, yawning and snuggling back down into my warm, comfy bed as it beckoned me to go back to sleep. As my head hit the pillow, a feeling of dread washed over me. Link would be leaving for Castle Town today. This was the first full night of sleep that I had gotten in a long time, and as much as I wanted to relax, I needed to give Link the Horse Charm before he left. Maybe afterwards I could take a nap or something.

Throwing off the covers and swinging my legs over the side of the frame, I willed my self to stand. The cold, drafty air stung my body through my light nightdress. Looking for my robe, which I had apparently misplaced, my eyes fell over my open dresser. Neatly folded inside were my favorite short brown pants and long shirt, which I had laundered the night before. Quickly, I changed into them, feeling a bit more comfortable in my favorite clothes. Yawning, I trudged down the wooden stairs, absentmindedly fixing breakfast, the usual morning routine.

As I was frying eggs I felt warm breath and a deep, ragged voice over my shoulder.

"Whatcha makin'?

I yelped and knocked over the pan of partially uncooked eggs. I whipped around and clutched the wall behind me, my heart racing.

"DAD!"

"What? What'd I do?" He looked alarmed.

"You don't _ever _do that!" I shouted at him.

"Oh, come on, don't make such a big deal out of it. You're overreacting."

"Father, you just don't _do_ that to girls! It freaks them out."

"How so?"

"It just...ugh. Never mind." I rolled my eyes, bent down, and started scraping up the spilled egg in my hands. "What're you doing up so early anyway?" I asked him. Father is not known for being an early riser.

"Well, I thought I'd give Link some, eh, last minute advice before he sets off. Just...wanna make sure he presents the gift to the Royal Family properly. We don't wanna be gettin' a bad reputation, now. By the goddesses, I hope he at least brushed his hair."

I chuckled at this. Father _would_ worry about things like that. I made a mad dash for the trash barrel, my cupped hands full of wet, sticky egg. Wiping my hands on a nearby dish towel I headed outside for some new eggs.

Our "backyard" was small, just big enough for our Cuccoos to be comfortable in, and it was set on a small, sloping cliff. As I bent down near the birds nests and gathered some of the eggs I could hear Link's shouts in the ranch.

"Hyahh!" A neigh from Epona followed. I hope he wasn't pushing her too hard. That poor horse does enough work as it is...

After a quick breakfast Father and I walked out the front door just in time to see Link riding Epona down the gentle slope from the ranch. I smiled.

"Father, he's ready!"

I jogged up along side Link, feeling his excitement.

"Hey! I guess today's the big day, huh?"

"Yeah." He answered back modestly. "Hopefully I won't mess up anything. I mean...the Royal Family...wow." His humbleness aggravated me.

"Oh, come on, you know they'll love you. Hey, when you get back be sure to tell me all about Castle Town, alright?"

"Of course." He gave me another brilliant smile. Out of the corner of my eye I saw father motion Link to come to him. Obliging, Link hopped off Epona. I turned to her and petted her forelock.

"The path before you is a long one, my sweet horse…but please bear Link safely along it." I felt the horse charm that I kept in the pouch above my knee bump the side of her front left leg, and she gave a soft whinny and shied away from me. I was immediately alarmed, this was unusual behavior for Epona. I leaned down and examined her leg. Involuntarily I gave a short gasp.

"Wait...what's this? What's happened?"

Across her knee there was a raw, red scrape. Dirt and dust was caked around the edges, and gnats and flies flew angrily around the wound. Anger bubbled inside of me. I thought back to what Father had said about Link going into the forest yesterday...I remembered those fences that had been put up ever since I could remember...the only way over was to...

"She's injured, isn't she?!?!" I stood up, and stomped over to him, staring him in the eyes. "Link, how could you?" He glanced down at the cut and winced apologetically.

"I'll bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you?" Link looked up. I saw his expression change from regretful to defiant. His eyes narrowed, and he started to protest when Father cut him off.

"Now now, Ilia. There's no need to get so hot with him..."

This really set me off.

"FATHER! How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" I turned back to Epona.

"You poor thing...It'll be alright Epona. I'll take you to the forest spring right now." I took her reign and began to lead her out of the village.

"Once we sooth you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!"

I heard Father shout behind me. "W-w-wait! Ilia! Why, without Epona the gift won't get delivered in time!" I ignored him. Father...he would worry about this _stupid_ gift delivery. And Link! He knew Epona was up for a long journey soon...he shouldn't have been so careless...

My cheeks were warm with emotion. As I entered the pass in front of Link's house, Talo, Malo and Beth ran up to me, hammering me with questions. Colin stood back, looking guilty.

"What was all that yelling, Ilia?"

"Why do you have Epona?"

"Shouldn't Link be delivering the gift right now?"

"Move." I said in a low, quiet voice. They all fell silent and moved out of the way. I continued to lead Epona to the spring. I turned back for a moment.

"Keep Link out."

I had known Link for as long as I could remember. He would try to talk me out of this, try to get Epona back, and try to persuade me to forgive him. No. I wouldn't do it. His charming personality got him out of _everything._ He was a stuck up, manipulative jerk who would do anything to get what he wanted....

Guilt started to plague me as I washed out Epona's wound. I knew Link wasn't like that. He was exactly the opposite. I thought of the Horse Call I'd spent so long making for him weigh down the pouch above my knee. I had worked so hard on that for a reason....

"Ilia?" I looked up.

"Colin? What are you doing here?" Colin, scared and meek, looked up at me through the vines on the spring gate. He hesitantly walked in and closed the it behind him. "Lock it." I ordered. Colin obeyed. I knew what was coming, and I was right. Moments later Link walked up behind to the entrance. My eyes narrowed.

"If you came to take Epona back, you can FORGET it! Why don't you think about what you've done for a change? I won't open the gate until you've changed your attitude!" Somehow, when I looked at his face all the anger surfaced through again. Link, exasperated, rolled his eyes, an annoyed expression on his face. Colin sighed.

"Ilia, you don't know what happened yesterday..." He turned back to Link, and I couldn't make out what they were saying. I turned back to my work.

"Ilia, please listen to me. The only way to get to Talo was by jumping a fence with Epona. He was kidnapped by a couple of monsters, who knows what they would have done to him... You know that Link would have been more careful in a different situation..."

I was mildly surprised by this. Father had really downplayed the situation. I could feel my cheeks burning red again, this time with a mix of shame, embarrassment, and annoyance at myself for overreacting. I cleared my throat.

"I had no idea...I hadn't heard the details about Talo's capture...But, Colin..." I stared nervously at my feet in the water...something in the back of my mind kept nagging me. How...how was I supposed to say this? I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

Link stood, brushing the dirt off his clothes, at the entrance of the small tunnel on one side of the spring. When we were kids we used to play in that tunnel all the time...I had forgotten about it.

Unable to look at his face, I turned back to Epona and reached for her long, graceful neck, but she whinnied, snorted, and turned her head away. I glanced downwards.

"So you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" I turned to Link with a knowing smile. "Don't worry about your horse, Link. Fortunately, it looks like the injury isn't too serious. You two can go on together. But, Link...Can you at least promise me this?" I paused a moment. Flashes of Link's sword fighting sessions and monsters ran through my mind.

"No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything...out of you league. Please...just come home safely."

Link's face softened, and he smiled that wonderful smile again. I could feel the tension between us fade away.

I reached for my pouch. Now would be the perfect time to give Link the horse charm...

My hand froze.

Everything happened so fast.

In the distance, there was thumping. Sort of like a horse's trot, only loud, more thunderous, heavy. Epona gave a frightened whinny, and reared up. I turned to calm her when I heard an earsplitting crash.

A huge, ugly bulbo crashed through the frail wooden gate. On top of it were two Bulbins, who were shouting and grunting. With it's enormous snout the bulbo hit Colin, and he fell to the ground, knocking him out cold. Epona reared up again and dashed off. One of the monsters locked eyes with me.

I couldn't move. I could only watch as it aimed it's bow at me. My legs were frozen in place, and I forgot how to breath. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, even as the arrow soared towards me. I found the will to move, and I turned around, in an attempt to escape.

A blinding pain like lightning struck my shoulder. I fell to the water, face down. _I'm going to drown, I'm going to drown..._ I thought wildly. Water filled my lungs. I couldn't feel anything except for pain...couldn't move...I heard Link shout and a splash..._not him too_...Someone lifted me out of the water, and I hung limply, my legs dangling in the spring. I found the strength to open my eyes a bit.

The last thing I saw was a cloud of blood staining the spring where I had lay moments ago.

Then everything went black.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**-Peaches732**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, Happy Fourth to the Americans, and Happy Saturday to everyone! I just wanted to put in a note before you start reading the chapter. Ilia did not lose her memory immediately after being kidnapped. The game says that, when she was staying with Impaz, she told her about Link and that he would come rescue them. She lost her memory sometime after escaping the abandoned village (Ocarina's Kakariko) and obviously before the scene with Wolf Link in the bar. Anyway, this was a difficult chapter for me to write, I hope I pulled it off okay. **

* * *

The first thing my mind registered was pain. My entire body felt sore and heavy and my shoulder was burning like fire. I could feel the dried sweat on my forehead and I could smell the faint stench of blood, which was strangely overpowered by the scent of flowers and perfume. The soft heat of the fire was a comfort; it made me feel safe, but at the same time I was already too warm. I gripped the sheets under me, soft to the touch, and tried to push myself up. A flash of pain, so sudden and unexpected, shot through my arm and I gasped and fell back onto the bed. At this point I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.

It was a small, old house, made up entirely of wood, but the inside was neat and tidy. The walls were covered with paintings, photos and various other decorations, and the house was crammed with furniture. A small kitchen-like area was in the corner. It was quite cozy and inviting, and reminded me somewhat of Ordon's buildings.

And cats. Cats _everywhere. _There must have been at least a dozen of them, all different colors and types and sizes. They were on the shelves, on the furniture, wherever there was space there was a cat.

An extremely small, elderly woman was standing at one of the counters, arranging food on a decorative plate. She turned around, and when she saw I was awake she smiled softly, her kind, wrinkled face lighting up.

"Oh, you've finally woken up, dear! Did you rest well?"

I cleared my throat a couple times. Who was she? Where was I? I chose my words carefully, I didn't want to offend her.

"Sort of. Have you been caring for me?" The woman nodded. She was quite small and frail looking. She had a wide forhead and a square jaw, which drooped slightly with age. Her hair twisted back into two low buns, right behind her ears, which were long and pointed, like Link's. So she's Hylian, I thought. But her eyes were unmistakably blood-red. I haven't ever seen any Hylians with red eyes...

I racked my brain, desperately trying to remember _why _I was here. And then memories came flooding back to me. I shot up from the bed, ignoring the stabbing pain in my shoulder, and my hands flew to my face.

"Link! Colin! Oh, what happened to them? They-we-that Bulbin attacked us, and-"

"Shhh, shhh, calm down, now!" She hurried over and gently pushed me back onto the bed. I struggled out of her grasp, holding my head in my shaking hands.

"What happened? Where-how-?"

"Shh, calm down and let me tell you, dear." The woman pushed a cup of hot tea into my hands, and I dutifully raised it too my lips. The scent was comforting, though the liquid sploshed dangerously inside the porcelain mug from my still-trembling hands.

"My name is Impaz, after the founder of my clan. I've been living in this little village my entire life, and it's completely abandoned except for me. My duty is to wait for the messenger to the heavens and to give him an ancient treasure that will help the Royal Family. I cannot leave until that day comes.

"Yesterday there was quite a bit of commotion outside. I looked out from my window and saw a huge, blue monster atop a giant boar. He was waving you around by your wrist and talking with many other monsters, who looked like smaller versions of him. His minions, I assume. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he threw you onto the ground and rode away on his boar. The monsters then dragged you over to one of the abandoned buildings and then stationed themselves around the village. It's obvious they're awaiting someone."

"I was torn. I couldn't just leave you there to die, but I'm old and feeble, there wasn't anything I could do but hope that the monsters would leave. All day I sat by that window, waiting, until finally that night, they all gathered by the fire at the other side of the village, eating some animal that one of them had killed. I took my chances and fetched you from the old building and managed to bring you back without them noticing me. Well, of course they noticed you were gone, but had no idea how it had happened. I don't think their leader is happy, you were supposed to be a hostage of some sorts, I think." She paused and took a sip of her own tea. "I fixed up your injuries the best I could. They weren't very serious, nothing to worry about."

Horrid memories of seeing that arrow shoot towards me and thinking that I was going to die right then and there flooded me, icing over my core. I gingerly reached over and put my hand over the bandaged wound on my shoulder. It was warm and tender with fever, but clean and no longer bleeding.

"Thank you." I whispered, still trying to take in everything that had happened. Had I really been unconscious for almost two days? I couldn't remember anything after seeing clouds of my blood swirling about in the water. I shuddered at the thought.

"Two others were with me, my friends from my village. Did you see anyone else?" My voice was calm and cool but on the inside I was burning with the desire to know what had happened to Link and Colin. Impaz shook her head sadly.

"No, you were the only one with the monster. I don't know about the others."

Shock, grief, and anguish filled me as I immediately thought the worst. It felt like my insides were being squeezed and tied into a little knot that rose from my stomach to the back of my throat. My eyes stung with tears that I wouldn't let fall.

_No...no, I need to be stronger than that..._

I opened one of the ragged curtains and peered out the window. Twilight had fallen and the orange-red sun was falling behind the walls of the cliffs. In the distance Bulbins stood, clubs in hand, some pacing the ruins, some lounging around and others conversing with one another in what sounded like grunts and screeches. The truth hit me. We _were_ being held hostage.

But for who? Or what?

* * *

**For those of you who follow all my stories I've put a poll up on my profile. It's for my upcoming story, Power: Life and Times of the King of Evil. There's more info about it on my profile. Special thanks to Lish, who beta/s/ this fic and helps me improve it. Check out her stories!**

**-Peaches**


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